Peak and off-peak are fairly standard terms to understand regardless of the industry you are talking about. Phone companies used to have it so that you could make cheaper calls after a defined time. Gyms use it these days so that if you can visit outside of the busiest hours you get a small discount. … Continue reading Northern Rail – A simple guide to off-peak travel
Author: danielmcchrystal
Office differences
Below is an incomplete list of things that are bafflingly different in the office compared to, er, not in the office. Cards People leave jobs. People get married. People create offspring. When these things happen, other people get them cards stating 'Well done for this thing you did'. This is not a secretive operation because … Continue reading Office differences
Northern Rage
Forget, just for a moment, how shit Northern Rail's ancient trains and general train service is and let me remind you of some of the sounds you may hear if you have the grave misfortune of having to commute on one of their trains like a time traveller from the Victorian era. "Attention conductor. Call … Continue reading Northern Rage
Jungle Gym
I am at that age now where I have kids who get invited to birthday parties. And when I say birthday parties I mean a two-hour shift in an indoor play centre invariably located on an industrial estate in between a collection of old tractors and a radiator warehouse. For some upsetting reason they are never … Continue reading Jungle Gym
Highlands – Day 4
After breakfast we kitted up and rolled the two miles down to the ferry terminal in Thurso to catch our boat which would take us to the Orkney Islands. The plan was to arrive at Stromness and do a 50-odd mile loop to finish the trip. Sadly we found out when we arrived at 8.15am … Continue reading Highlands – Day 4
Highlands – Day 3
I woke up to find my ankles definitely free and not tied between two blocks of wood and breathed a sigh of relief. After a filling breakfast (Strathy does serve food on a Tuesday just in case you were wondering) and putting on clothes that were still damp we headed out to complete the first … Continue reading Highlands – Day 3
Highlands – Day 2
So with day one done, we awoke to find the drizzle was back with us but it didn't appear to be as bad as the previous morning. We packed our bikes up and cruised back down to the bridge we had crossed the previous evening in our unsuccessful quest for a pint. After hauling our … Continue reading Highlands – Day 2
Highlands -To The Start and Day 1
After last years Way of the Roses ride my brother John (not a monk) and I decided to tackle a Scottish Highlands ride for a local Fibromyalgia charity in Manchester. The ride would be around 50 miles longer over one less day so would be a good test of whether our fitness levels had improved … Continue reading Highlands -To The Start and Day 1
Way of the Roses – Day 5
Final day! And Christ on a bike were we beginning to feel it (is that a pun?). The legs and buttocks were definitely feeling punished and after walking downstairs like John Wayne for breakfast we were ready for the last day, another 50 miles or so to the east coast resort town of Bridlington. We … Continue reading Way of the Roses – Day 5
Way of the Roses – Day 4
We woke up and had breakfast earlier than usual as we had to walk into town to buy some of those delicious powder drinks (they are not delicious) to power us through the penultimate day. We also bought some spare inner tubes after I had used one the previous day and headed back to the … Continue reading Way of the Roses – Day 4
Daniel McChrystal 